The Minns Labor Government is a step closer to delivering another ferry stop for Sydney's Inner West, unveiling the proposed design for the new Fish Market Wharf that will welcome services next year.
Once complete, the wharf will connect the Sydney Fish Market with Barangaroo, creating a new transport option for local residents, workers and visitors. The new Sydney Fish Market opened in January and is expected to attract more than six million visitors each year.
Site establishment work is planned to start in late 2026, with ferry services expected to start in late 2027.
The wharf forms part of a $70 million NSW Government investment in better transport access to the Fish Market, alongside a $40 million accessibility upgrade at Wentworth Park light rail stop. The Government has also added 150 extra weekly services to the L1 Dulwich Hill Line.
It is the latest ferry improvement being delivered for the Inner West, following the return of weekday peak services to Balmain West after more than a decade, reconnecting the Balmain peninsula with Barangaroo, Circular Quay and communities further west along the Parramatta River.
The Government has also reactivated the Pirrama Park ferry stop in Pyrmont, while a new stop at Walsh Bay will join F3 Parramatta River services during commuter peaks and F8 Cockatoo Island services off-peak and on weekends from early next year.
Together with the planned Fish Market service, these improvements are expanding ferry access between the Inner West, the CBD and Sydney's key waterfront destination.
Located at the new Sydney Fish Market site, the wharf will include fully accessible facilities, as well as berthing for overflow fishing vessels and recreational vessels on either side of a dedicated floating ferry pontoon.
The new wharf will feature covered waiting areas, seating and weather protection, as well as real-time service information, wayfinding signage and Opal card readers.
Safety features will include handrails, lighting, CCTV, help points, life-saving equipment and safety ladders.
The design reflects the look and feel of ferry wharves across Sydney Harbour, including a curved zinc roof over the ferry pontoon that will weather naturally to form a patina over time. The shape, materials and colours have been selected to complement the harbour setting while maintaining water views.
As part of the construction, two existing wharf structures from the former fish market site will be removed, to improve navigation and access to the new wharf.
The final timetable and operating arrangements for the future ferry service are still being determined, as well as vessel options for the new service.
A temporary maritime exclusion zone will be in place around the work area during construction, with boating operators and other water users to be informed before it begins.
The NSW Government has allocated $30 million to design and deliver the ferry wharf.
Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O'Neill said:
"Our world class fish market deserves world class transport, and what better than our harbour ferry network to deliver it.
"The new Fish Market Ferry Wharf will give locals, workers and visitors another convenient way to get around, directly connecting this world-class destination with Barangaroo and the ferry network.
"From restoring services at Balmain West, Pyrmont and Walsh Bay, the Minns Labor Government is expanding Sydney's ferry network and delivering the transport our growing city needs."
Labor Candidate for Balmain Phillippa Scott said:
"People in our community will benefit enormously from this new ferry service, which builds on the other restored ferry services by the Minns Labor Government in the Inner West.
"The Minns Labor Government is delivering better ferry connections across our waterfront communities.
"We've brought services back to Balmain West, reactivated Pirrama Park in Pyrmont, and we're adding a new stop at Walsh Bay with a service to Balmain. This new fish market stop will be the next step in making it easier for people across Balmain to get around our harbour."
